Billions of dollars have been pledged at a donor conference for Iraq’s reconstruction after the country’s devastating war with the Islamic State group, though the amounts announced so far still fall short of the 88.2 billion US dollars Baghdad is seeking.

Kuwait’s ruling emir has said his oil-rich nation will give one billion US dollars in loans and one billion dollars in direct investments to help rebuild Iraq, a stunning donation as only a generation ago Saddam Hussein invaded the small, oil-rich nation.

Iraq’s parliament has approved May 12 as the date for holding national elections despite calls from the country’s Sunni community to delay the vote until the return of nearly three million people displaced by the fight against the Islamic State group.